1940

Reviews / Votes

"A brilliant portrait of an America in transition... Captivating... Few years turn out to be as perilous as 1940, or as portentous."-David M. Shribman, Wall Street Journal -- David M. Shribman The Wall Street Journal "Susan Dunn's gripping book shows us that the further we get from 1940, the more obvious it is that this moment was a turning point for Western civilization. With fresh research and original insights, Dunn allows us to watch and assess such figures as FDR, Hitler and Churchill, Charles Lindbergh, Wendell Willkie, Henry Wallace, Joseph Kennedy and others as they play out their roles, large and small, in the horrifying, onrushing drama. Anyone today who believes that U.S. involvement and the ultimate Allied triumph in World War II was inevitable must read this important history."-Michael Beschloss, New York Times bestselling author of Presidential Courage -- Michael Beschloss "Susan Dunn, a prolific and outstanding historian, has crafted a fast-paced, serious, and extraordinarily well-researched book about the events surrounding the pivotal 1940 election. Her main characters-FDR, Wendell Willkie, Lindbergh, Hitler-come brilliantly to life. I could hardly put the book down." -James T. Patterson, author of Bancroft Prize-winning Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945-1974 -- James T. Patterson "1940 is a useful account of an important time in American history."-Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post -- Jonathan Yardley The Washington Post "Susan Dunn's 1940: FDR, Willkie, Lindbergh, Hitler-the Election Amid the Storm delivers a richly detailed Making of the President-style look back at the 1940 race."-Marc Wortman, The Daily Beast -- Marc Wortman The Daily Beast "A warmly characterized study of Franklin Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie as they battled for the presidency of 1940 within a yawning national chasm over the war... Dunn paints a lively portrait of the many currents during the year... A sympathetic, entertaining portrayal of two presidential opponents and ultimate colleagues."-Kirkus Reviews Kirkus Reviews "[A] gripping narrative that both scholars and presidential history buffs will enjoy."-Library Journal Library Journal "Some elections really are watersheds. A gripping narrative of the dramatic 1940 contest for the White House."-Harvard magazine Harvard magazine "Dunn superbly depicts the 1940 election between Roosevelt, who was seeking an unprecedented third term, and his internationalist Republican opponent, Wendell Willkie."-Jacob Heilbrunn, New York Times Book Review (cover review, Editor's Choice selection) -- Jacob Heilbrunn New York Times Book Review "Indeed, in subtle but sophisticated fashion, Dunn offers a celebratory account of the triumph of American democracy, showing the importance of moderation and compromise to the successful functioning of politics in the country. Her book is required reading for political historians of modern America."-Nancy Beck Younger, University of Houston -- Nancy Beck Young The Register